In the poem We Wear the Mask by Paul Laurence Dunbar he conveys the idea of changing your social identity based upon the culture or areas you are around. Dunbar states “This debt we pay to human guile; with torn and bleeding hearts we smile”, with this he portrays hurt and pain caused by trials and tensions between two “separate worlds”. The message I get from this poem is one of sadness and depression. When Paul Laurence Dunbar wrote this poem, he intended to reach many different types of audiences. These audiences could be young or old, black or white, and troubled or wealthy. As for me the text hits home to my heart. When I was younger, I had a very troubling upbringing. I lived in eight different houses, three stepfathers, an intoxicated
